Cellist Daniel Levin with Nate Wooley, Matt Moran and Peter Bitenc performing live at Roulette, NYC in 2008, improv based on words and concepts instead of song structures.

Daniel Levin's quartet with trumpeter Nate Wooley, vibraphonist Matt Moran and bassist Peter Bitenc, modern and organic improvisation with incredible technique and aesthetic.

Cellist Daniel Levin's trio with Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten and Gerald Cleaver in a set of original compositions from one of contempory jazz's masters of cello improvisation.

The "Inner Landscape" of cellist Daniel Levin's playing in a 6-part solo release of pure improvisation as Levin finds his music in real time through spontaneous play and surprise.

A quintessential NY release from Brooklyn poet Steve Dalachinsky and saxophonist Dave Liebman with special guest pianist Richie Beirach, in 14 insightful works referencing and dedicated to Cecil Taylor, Billie Holiday, Jackson Pollock, Steve Lacy, &c &c.

Bassist Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth features 2 saxophonists--Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby, Craig Tabor on keys and Gerald Cleavers on drums, in 8 melodic tracks inspired by landmarks of NYC and influenced by jazz tradition, West African music, pop hooks, and more.

Bassist Lightcap's Bigmouth with Tony Malaby, Chris Cheek & Andrew D'Angelo on sax, Craig Taborn on keys and Gerald Cleaver on drums, NY jazz with remarkable rapport and prowess.

NY-based Arto Lindsay's diverse career includes No Wave band DNA, Ambitious Lovers with Peter Scherer, acclaimed Brazilian-tinged pop records, and improvising with a great set of Downtown NY players, much of which is presented in this excellent cross-section of his work to date.

Portuguese guitarist Luis Lopes with NY bassist Adam Lane and Israeli drummer Igal Fonis, emotional, raw music, with lots of feedback and distortion and astonishing solos!

Reissue and remaster of this 1973 album from Frank Lowe with William Parker, Joseph Jarman and "The Wizard", restoring 15 minutes of material thought to have been lost.

New York & San Francisco double and single-reedist Steven Lugerner and his quartet with Darren Johnston (trumpet), Myra Melford (piano) and Matt Wilson (drums) present an incredible concept album in 10 tracks of structure free improvisation.

Yugoslavian tenor saxophonist Igor Lumpert Innertextures Trio with NY bassist Christopher Tordini and drummer Nasheet Waits in an album of modern jazz bridging unknown Europe with emerging NY talent.

The fourth release from NY guitarist Lundbom's Big Five Chord, wide ranging jazz tunes with two saxes (Irabagon and Murray) in a band with great technical and melodic power!

The first recording by guitarist Jon Lunbom's Big Five Chord with bassist Moppa Elliott, saxophonists Jon Irabagon and Dominic Lalli, and drummer Justin Walke, superb 21st century jazz.

Guitarist Lundbom expands his Big Five Chord of Jon Irabagon (sax), Bryan Murray (sax), Moppa Elliott (bass) and Dan Monaghan (drums) to include Sam Kulik on trombone and Justin Wood (sax & flute) for a dynamic album of power jazz named after the prophet Jeremiah.

Jon Lundbom's Big Five Chord took three years off before this album to develop the "Bryand and the Haggards" alter-ego, returning with this intense genre-shipping and virtuosic album.

Originally issued on the Hat Hut label as a 3-LP set, this 1978 recording of Cecil Taylor compatriot, saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, performing live at Collective for Living Cinema in New York in a unique band with Karen Borca (bassoon), Munner Bernard Fennel (cello) and Roger Blank (drums).

Nate Wooley and Paul Lytton continue their collaborations, extending their new duo recordings with live tracks from The Stone in NYC with Ikue Mori, and at Chicago's Hideout with Ken Vandermark.

A beautifully produced 3-sided double LP from New York's MAP, guitarist Mary Halvorson, percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani and bassist Reben Radding, amazing contemporary improvisation.

The New York duo of saxophonists Rudresh Mahanthappa and Steve Lehman in their co-led quintet with Liberty Ellman on guitar, Matt Brewer on bass and Damion Reid on drums.

Alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa's "Kinsmen" is a groundbreaking project that melds jazz with South Indian music into a single organic whole.

A double CD of bassist Giovanni Maier's quartet of ambitious and compelling electric jazz, one CD featuring two guitarists - Marc Ribot and Simone Massaron - and both albums featuring a double keyboard lead.

NY saxophonist Tony Malaby's latest album was recorded with his most consistent collaborators--tubist Dan Peck, cellist Christopher Hoffman, and drummer/percussionist John Hollenbeck--in an album of energetic improv with a unique timbral configuration.

Percussionist Juan Pablo Carletti leads a trio with Tony Malaby on sax and Christopher Hoffman on cello, beautifully unfolding jazz that balances light and dark, melodic and free approaches with textural percussive work.

Tony Malaby's trio with William Parker & Nasheet Waits shows his great stylistic diversity in original compositions, making this his finest release to date.

The NYC trio of saxophonist Tony Malaby, bassist William Parker and drummer Nasheet Waits present their 3rd Tamarindo record of "high-impact free-form progressive jazz extravaganza", flowing music demonstrating the strength of all 3 players.

Saxophonist Tony Malaby's incredible Tamarindo trio with William Parker on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums is transformed to a quartet with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, performing live in NYC, 2010.

Hyperpianist Denman Maroney in a quintet with Ned Rothenberg, Dave Ballou, Reuben Radding and Michael Sarin, complex and rewarding structured & multi-tempo music.

2001 recordings of Zorn's original Masada band with bassist Greg Cohen, drummer Joey Baron and trumpeter Dave Douglas, performing live at Tonic, NYC.

Massacre with Fred Frith, Bill Laswell and Charles Hayward in an album collecting live recordings from Frith's private archives, documenting their 1999 European tour and 2008 performances, spectacular improvised rock.

The adaptive improvising/electro-acoustic trio of Maybe Monday in their 3rd release with guests Gerry Hemingway, Carla Kihlstedt, Ikue Mori, and Zeena Parkins.

The duo of percussionist Gerry Hemingway and guitarist Terrence McManus in seven absorbing improvisations on rhythm, melody, harmony, and sonic exposition.

A burning spiritual session inspired by John Coltrane's "Live at the Village Vanguard Again" that began when Jamie Saft told Joe Morris about his deep admiration for Alice Coltrane's playing, adding McPhee and Downs as the perfect complement to realize this excellent album.

In 1979 Joe McPhee, working with CJR produced Craig Johnson, recorded this set of overdubbed recordings of himself performing on saxes, trumpet and flugelhorn over original compositions showcasing solo, duo, trio and quartet contexts, an album of virtual McPhee ensembles!

Saxophonist and pocket trumpeter Joe McPhee and drummer Michael Zerang recorded this suite of superb duos live at Big Top in New Orleans, LA in the fall of 2009, extended, unusual and masterful improvisation.

A distinctive solo album from legendary New York saxophonist and pocket trumpeter Joe McPhee, playing two extended solo improvisations, one dedicated to the late trumpeter Don Cherry, and one to innovative saxophonist Ornette Coleman.

A rich and unusual interpretation of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" recorded in Boswil, Switzerland in 1981 with McPhee, Pierre Favre, Irene Schweizer, Radu Malfatti, Daniel Bourquin, &c., in its first-ever release.

A much-needed reissue of McPhee's 1979 Hat Hut LP documenting his 1977 concert at Salle Ste Croix des Pelletiers, performing 3 original compositions and Monk's "Round Midnight" with incredible skill and inventiveness.

A project about the rich jazz history of Brooklyn, NY, recorded in that burrough by NY saxophonist Joe McPhee & bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, referencing Putnam Central, The Blue Coronet, Sonny Rollins, and Brooklyn itself.

Pianist/composer Myra Melford's first solo album, original compositions inspired by Sacramento artist Don Reich, with a 16-page booklet that includes full color photographs of Don Reich's artwork and liner notes by Melford and Charles Johnson.

1974 recordings at WKCR in NYC from the quintet of Charles Brackeen (flute & sax), Ahmed Abdullah (trumpet), William Parker (bass), Roger Blank (drums) and Tony Waters (percussion), beautifully recorded and essential free improvisation.

The 20th volume of the Book of Angels series is led by virtuoso guitarist Pet Metheny as he creatively plays John Zorn's compositions with a large assortment of instruments and electronics.

The duo of pianist Tonino Miano and trumpeter Brian Groder, both NY based, in a sophisticated jazz duo that borrows from melodic, avant and compositional jazz forms in a strong and compelling dialog.

Guitarist Nick Millevoi leads an ensemble that includes Jamie Saft on Hammond Organ, Ches Smith on drums, Johnny Deblase on bass, Dan Blacksberg on trombone and June Bender on violin, for an album equally embracing and subverting a wealth of rock and jazz forms.

NY pianist and composer Matt Mitchell's quartet with reedist Chris Speed, bassist Christopher Tordini, and drummer Dan Weiss for an album of long-form improvisation that reflects on jazz tradition while expanding the possibilities between composition and improvisation.

The debut recording from NY pianist Matt Mitchell, in a duo with drummer Ches Smith on drums, percussion & vibes, 15 inventive original compositions written to push Mitchell's technical skills in improvisational settings, each an ingenious little puzzle.

The next step in Iranian-American saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh's quest to create a seamless cross-cultural exchange of musical structures between the Persian dastgah and American jazz.

Collecting early works from this gifted vocalist and performer, studio and live recordings from 1966-1980 in NYC, Connecticut, Montreal, California, Berlin.

Two New York jazz originals, pianist Connie Crothers and alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, performing 6 improvisations and one original compositions from each artist; melodic and deeply sensitive playing.

A series of exceptional compositions by saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc plus one by Alice Coltrane, performed in a variety of group settings, from duos to quintet, with sidemen Matthew Shipp, Roy Campbell, Steve Swell, Hilliard Greene, and Newman Taylor Baker.

The long-running duo pairing of Mats Gustafsson (The Thing, Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet, etc) and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth, Chelsea Light Moving, Dream/Aktion Unit, etc) in a limited LP of power and sound.

Chicago's 2012 Marshmallow Festival brought together improvising drummer Frank Rosaly with New York guitarist Thurston Moore for a thick 35 minute improvisation that builds in intensity as Moore's drive and Rosaly's vehement interaction take the listener on a monumental journey.

A solo electric guitar soundtrack to James Nares' film "Street" performed by Thurston Moore, freely improvising in a dynamic and impressive performance recorded live at the Rubloff Auditorium at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

One of the pioneers of laptop electronics, Mori here features her idiosyncratic take on contemporary dance rhythms and electronica in instrumental tracks and an animated video.

A beautifully paced and uniquely voiced album of electronic soundscapes from luminary New York performer Ikue Mori, 10 works including a realization of Izumi Kyoka's story "Koya Hijuri", 3 pieces for Mozu birds, the 2-part "Pomegranate Seeds", and one of Zorn's Masada compositions.

Secret Tempo juxtaposes NY saxophonist Jonathan Moritz' feel of jazz with elements of modern compositional and improvised music, from Bird to Webster, Webern to lowercase, as performed with his trio of bassist Shayna Dulberger and drummer Mike Pride.

Guitarist Joe Morris' continuing objective to record with his musical heroes results in this duo recording with the magnificent bassist Barre Phillips in a lively dialog.

Intense acoustic guitar interactions from frequent collaborators Joe Morris (NY) and Chris Cretella (New Haven, CT) in a remarkable display of free fingerstyle guitar improvisations presented in a limited hand-assembled package.

The trio of Joe Morris on guitar, Fausto Sierakowski on alto sax and Nigel Taylor on trumpet in a spirited studio release of collective improvisation using superb technique in beautifully dovetailed dialog.

Guitarist Joe Morris continues his duet parternships on Clean Feed, here with the innovative and amazing trumpeter Nate Wooley in an album of brilliant spontaneous improv.

For the first time, instrumentalists and improvisers Joe Morris (guitar), William Parker (bass), and Gerald Cleaver (drums) play together as a trio and create four excellent works of free jazz.

Live recordings from guitarist Joe Morris, performing solo at Bimhuis in Amsterdam in two Octobers from 2013 to 2014, showing remarkable technical and creative skills while captivating his audience with accessible progressions and story-telling; masterful!

Joe Morris reunites his NY quartet as their last configuration from 2000, with violist Mat Maneri, bassist Chris Lightcap, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and Morris on guitar, bringing us an update on the intently informed collective improvisation that defines this great- band.

A 1985 recording of guitarist Joe Morris with Lowell Davidson (drums), Malcolm Goldstein (violin) and Butch Moriss (cornet) riffing on the idea of graffiti tags, performed live at the Cambridge Dance Center.

Dark, edgy and superb electric guitar work from Joe Morris in a trio with Stave Lantner on electric keyboard and Jerome Deupree on drums, the final part of what Morris calls "Big Loud Electric Guitar Trilogy" that started with "Sweatshop" and "Racket Club", following the Hendrix legacy.